Flying Luck
Flying Luck is a short story which was first published in The Modern Boy Issue 337, 21st July 1934. The story was subsequently gathered and published in 1935 in the anthology Biggles in France where it spanned chapters 5 and 6 and were titled Biggles Gets a Bull and Lost in the Sky. The story was subsequently adapted, with a change to a WW2 setting and new characters, into The Arrival of Angus as part of Spitfire Parade. The story did not feature when some In France stories were gathered for Biggles of 266 probably because it had already been used for Spitfire Parade. However it reappeared in 1993 in the Red Fox Biggles in France and the 2009 Norman Wright edition. In the Modern Boy sequence, this story is preceded by Biggles and the Runaway Tank and followed by Biggles and the Mad Hatter. Synopsis Bored with being grounded by bad weather, Biggles takes-off in heavy rain and gets lost, found, and then lost again. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) Biggles is bored with being grounded by bad weather and decides to take off in the heavy rain to visit 187 Squadron. Soon after taking off, he begins to regret his decision. The deluge is so bad than he can't see where he is going. At first he tries to follow a road but he soon loses sight of it. After nearly hitting a church spire, Biggles decides that The wise thing to do is to set down on a field he botches landing, causing the undercarriage to collapse. Worse,peering into the gloom ahead, he sees an angry bull. Biggles tries to talk to it to calm it down but it charges at his plane instead. Running for his life, Biggles reaches a farm house. There he is made welcome by a young French girl and her mother. Biggles is happily warming himself by the fire when there is a knock at the door. It is a young French pilot and fiance of the girl. Like Biggles, three days ago he had been forced down by bad weather and he had returned to his squadron on foot. Now the weather was improving, he has come to retrieve his aircraft. He offers Biggles a lift to Marianique. Biggles is forced to accept. After all, he could see that the French pilot is not enthused about leaving Biggles with his fiancee. They take off in the French pilot's Breguet two seater. Soon Biggles can tell that they are going to far east but the French pilot ignores his protestations, merrily flying and singing a song. Biggles, with no controls in the rear cockpit, is helpless. Soon the Frenchman lands, although Biggles is sure they are nowhere near Marianque. They are shocked to see a German Rumpler on the airfield. They are behind enemy lines! The F.rench pilot hastily sets for to his Breguet and they run to hide in the woods. At length they decide to steal the Rumpler and fly back to friendly lines. They manage to reach the plane without berg spotted when a head pops out from the cockpit. The groan but then the figure starts speaking English! It's Lynsdale, and they are at 281 Sqn. Lynsdale had captured the Rumpler earlier that day. Biggles is relieved but the French pilot breaks down into sobs. Characters *Captain Mahoney *Lynsdale *Flight Sergeant Smyth Aircraft *Sopwith Camel *Breguet - probably a Breguet 14 *Rumpler Places Visited *Maranique *St. Marie Fleur - aerodrome of 281 Squadron Mentioned Editorial Changes Other Research Notes *Other R.F.C. and R.N.A.S. Units mentioned: **187 Squadron. Biggles was on his way to visit them when he got lost. Not Wilks' 287 Sqn. At this point in the timeline Biggles has not met Wilks yet. **281 Squadron. Based at St. Marie Fleur. Their aircraft type is not stated. References to the past Incongruities Chronology *Close to Biggles Goes Ballooning and Biggles and the Runaway Tank. Mahoney is still his flight commander. Publication History *''The Modern Boy'', Issue 337, 21st July 1934 *''Biggles in France'', Boy's Friend Library No. 501 7th November 1935 (as two chapters: Biggles Gets a Bull, Lost in the Sky) *''Biggles in France'', Red Fox, 1993 and subsequent reprints *''Biggles in France'', Norman Wright, 2009 Category:Short stories Category:Biggles short stories Category:World War One era short stories